Sleep Quality in CrossFit: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Sleep Science
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Sleep quality is crucial for athletic performance.
• CrossFit practitioners may experience unique physiological stressors affecting sleep and intestinal health.
• Understanding these relationships is vital for optimizing athlete well-being and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness in adult CrossFit practitioners.
• To investigate potential associations between sleep parameters and intestinal health in this population.
• To identify factors that may compromise training performance.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 1,090 adult CrossFit practitioners (≥18 years, practicing ≥3 months).
• Online questionnaire assessing demographics, health history, and CrossFit habits.
• Assessed intestinal health using ROME IV criteria and Bristol Scale.
• Evaluated sleep quality with the Pittsburgh International Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-BR) and daytime sleepiness with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Main Results:

• 47.4% reported poor sleep quality (PSQI-BR), and 22.4% experienced excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Females showed higher rates of constipation (36.9%) and excessive daytime sleepiness compared to males.
• Poor sleep quality (higher PSQI-BR scores) correlated positively with constipation and daytime sleepiness, and negatively with normal stool type (Bristol Scale).

Conclusions:

• Adult CrossFit practitioners frequently experience poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, and constipation.
• These sleep disturbances are associated with compromised intestinal health.
• Interventions targeting sleep improvement may benefit CrossFit athletes' performance and well-being.